The Next 18 Years
by MegEl
Summary: Sequel to "The Morning After". Now that Lois and Clark are parents, they'll have to juggle work and superheroics with raising a half-Kryptonian. What could go wrong?


DISCLAIMER: I don't own the characters, nor am I in any way affiliated with the show, or with Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. This story is purely for entertainment purposes.

A/N: I've been working on this first chapter off-and-on for a while now, but I've also been trying to work on my _Arrow_ story, **Holy Smoak**, as well as a sequel to my _Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D._ one-shot, **I Just Wanna Feel**. Not to mention, I've got a paranormal romance novel that's slowly but surely coming along (damn my perfectionist streak!). So, thank you times a million to all who patiently awaited this sequel, and a special thanks to all who followed, favorited, and/or took the time to review. :D

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><p>"It's okay, sweetie," Lois assured her crying infant sleepily, making her way over to him. "Mommy's here."<p>

She picked him up out of his bassinet, a gift from Oliver, and quickly soothed her son's tears. Taking a quick assessment, she found he was in need of a diaper change. Once she'd changed it and rocked him back to sleep, she climbed back into bed beside her sleeping fiancé, quietly marveling, "Amazing. The man has superhearing and he still sleeps through a baby crying."

"I'm awake," he informed her from the depths of his pillow. He propped himself up a bit, explaining, "I've been awake since you got up."

Glancing over at their sleeping son, he pointed out, "I thought it was my turn."

"It was?" she countered, confused. "Oh, yeah. I forgot."

After a moment's pause, during which Clark looked over at the bedside clock, he sighed and rolled over onto his back, letting Lois drape an arm and a leg over him, her head pillowed on his bare chest. He in turn wrapped an arm around her, and started stroking her hair.

"So, are you ready to go back to work today?" he asked her.

"As ready as I'll ever be," she replied.

"Are you ready for Conner's first day at daycare?"

"Of course. Everything's all set."

"That's not what I meant."

There was no answer. Instead, Lois sat up and watched Conner as he slept.

"I still can't believe it's been six whole weeks since he was born," she remarked.

"I know. Me neither." He sat up behind her, wrapping his arms around her figure, which was hidden beneath his old football jersey and little else. As she rested her hands on his strong, muscular arms, he kissed her on the cheek, and watched baby Conner with her for a moment. Then, returning his attention to his son's mother, Clark added, "Not that anyone would ever be able to tell you just gave birth."

She smiled at the compliment, and gave him a quick but loving peck on the lips.

"Well, I have Jor-El to thank for that," she pointed out, turning and laying back down with him. "Who knew having these abilities could really speed up your metabolism? Though, that does explain why I didn't put on a whole lot of weight while I was carrying Conner."

After they were snuggled up together again, a moment passed in silence as the two tried to let sleep reclaim them, just before a thought occurred to Clark: "You know...we really don't have to be up for another couple of hours..."

Following his train of thought, Lois slowly smirked up at him, and said, "I like the way you think, Smallville."

...

"Lookin' good, Lane," one of Lois's coworkers remarked flirtatiously as she and Clark made their way to their desks.

"Thanks, Brent," she replied, flashing him a platonic smile. Meanwhile, behind her, Clark glared at Brent, not liking the way he was eyeing Lois. When Brent saw Clark, his smile faded, and he beat a hasty retreat.

"Possessive, are we?" Lois teased, having caught Clark's glare.

"What can I say, Lois?" was his response, his tone now also teasing. "Guess I'm just going to have to get used to the fact that my wife-to-be is a total babe."

"Damn right," she agreed, her smile matching his.

"Hey! Welcome back to the bullpen," Chloe greeted her cousin cheerfully, getting up and moving to stand by Lois and Clark's desks. "How's it feel to be back?"

"Great," Lois answered, taking her seat. "Feels like I never left."

Then, changing the subject, Chloe asked, "So...how was daycare drop-off?"

"It was...fine," her cousin replied, though her tone indicated otherwise.

"Lois is suffering a little separation anxiety," Clark explained.

"Well, I've never been away from him for longer than a few minutes," Lois argued in her own defense.

"Lois, it's not like you're never going to see him again," Chloe pointed out, getting a giggle at her cousin's expense. "Besides, if anything happens to Conner, his bracelet will send out an S.O.S."

"I've already tried telling her that," Clark informed his friend.

Lois said nothing, but instead, shot them both a glare.

With that, Chloe returned to her desk, her smile still glued to her face. Then, as she set about researching a story she was working on and Lois and Clark each tried to sniff out a story of their own, little was said between the trio for the next couple of hours. Though, every once in a while, Lois and Clark would look up and share a loving gaze before returning to work.

Eventually, Lois exclaimed, "Clark, you gotta see this!"

Joining her at her desk, Clark looked over her shoulder at her computer, which was littered with several police reports. After reading over them, he realized, "Several couples have gone missing in the past few weeks. All engaged."

"The most recent one disappeared just last night," she informed him. "And I already checked, credit cards haven't been touched and phone records show no sign of activity. So, unless Oprah said eloping was in — "

"They've all been abducted," he finished. Shaking his head, he wondered, "What kind of person would prey on people during the happiest time of their lives?"

Then, he suggested, "We should cross-reference all the victims, see if they have anything in common."

"Already did that, too. All the couples visited the same wedding vendors within a few days of their abductions."

She pulled up the addresses of the vendors. One was a bakery, another was a jewelry store, and yet another was a stationery store.

"The stationery shop is right around the corner," Clark pointed out. He went to grab his coat from the back of his chair, and put it on. "We can check it out real quick."

"Actually, I have a better idea," Lois replied, a bit mischievously.

"Uh-oh. I don't like that look."

"Relax, honey. I mean...Smallville." She quickly darted her eyes around to see if anyone had caught her unprofessional slip of the tongue, before returning to the matter at hand. "The guy is preying on couples, right?"

Catching her thought train, he insisted, "Don't even go there. Lois — "

"Clark, if we walk in there as the bait," she reasoned, ignoring Clark's protest, "we'll have him eating out of our hands."

As he considered that a moment, Lois popped up out of her seat, adding, "Besides, we actually do have a wedding to plan, and this way, we kill two birds with one stone."

"We do need to pick out an engagement ring," he agreed darkly, thinking back to the look Brent had been giving Lois.

"Then it's settled." Lois headed for the stairs, Clark not far behind.

...

"Well, that was a bust," Lois declared, as she and Clark stepped out of the Nibs 'n' Quills Stationery Store. "That shopkeeper's obviously not the perp. I mean, the man's seventy years old."

"Plus, he spent the night in the hospital," Clark added. "He still had his bracelet on."

"What's next?" she asked, splitting her focus between walking and watching Clark as he pulled the list of vendors out of his coat pocket.

"Uh...Cameo Jewelers."

Partially distracted, Lois stepped out into the street, and nearly got run over. Clark yanked her back in time, inadvertently pulling her into an embrace in the process. As they stood in close proximity, they gazed into each others' eyes, the sexual tension palpable in the air.

As they got close enough to kiss, Lois smiled lustily as she told him, "Ooh, you drive me crazy. But, you know, in a good way."

He returned her smile, before replying, "Right back at ya, Lane. Now, come on, we have a jeweler to interrogate."

Then, they crossed the street without further incident, and walked the few feet to the jewelry store.

"Now, remember, Lois," he whispered as he held the door open for her, "don't lay it on so thick this time."

"I know, Smallville," she whispered back.

"May I help you?" one of the jewelers greeted pleasantly.

"Well, we are finally out ring shopping," Lois explained, still a bit too perky for Clark's taste. "Who's the luckiest girl in the world? I am."

"Some friends of ours said that your store is the best place in town to find engagement rings," Clark lied, more casually then his fiancée.

The jeweler asked them, "Is there a certain piece that you'd like to see?"

Without another word, Lois picked one out. As the jeweler went to retrieve it from the case, Clark said, "Must be great seeing so many happy couples come through here every day."

"It certainly is," the jeweler replied. "It's very fulfilling helping to solidify the bond between husband and wife."

Holding up the ring, the jeweler remarked, "Excellent craftsmanship. A perfect circle, no beginning and no end. Try it on, see how it looks."

Clark took the ring from him, then slipped it on Lois's finger. As he did so, they got lost in each others' eyes, forgetting for a moment that they were supposed to be catching a serial kidnapper. It was only when the jeweler spoke again that they remembered why they were really there.

"Look at that, a perfect fit." The jeweler was in awe.

"It is, isn't it?" Lois asked, getting lost in the moment again as she admired it on her finger.

Clark cleared his throat, bringing her back once more. As Lois took the ring off and set it down on one of the cases, they told the jeweler that they would need to think about it. Then, they left as politely as they could, the jeweler watching them indulgently all the while.

"Take your time," he assured them as Clark once again held the door open for Lois. "This isn't something to be rushed into."

They got the feeling he wasn't entirely referring to ring shopping.

...

Later, after checking out the bakery, Lois and Clark returned to the Daily Planet. As Clark returned to the basement to see if some background checks he and Lois had ordered had come in, Lois went to check on Conner in daycare. Clark had been about to protest, but then thought better of it.

On the day of Conner's christening, his mother had even warned him that it was in a mother's nature to worry._  
><em>

When she joined him fifteen minutes later, he looked up from the background checks he'd been perusing, and noticed that the top of her blouse was unbuttoned. He discreetly brought it to her attention, and she quickly fixed it.

"He was hungry," she explained, in her defense.

"Correct me if I'm wrong," he said, "but didn't you pump a couple of bottles for Conner this morning?"

"What was I supposed to do, Clark? Let somebody else feed him with a bottle when my boobs and I were right there?"

Blushing, he lowered his voice as he asked, "Okay, one: could we not talk about your boobs at work?"

He then returned to a more normal volume as he continued, "And two: eventually, you're going to need to get used to someone else feeding Conner, and changing him, and comforting him when he cries. I worry about him just as much as you do, Lois, but there needs to be a balance."

She didn't respond. Instead, she busied herself with papers on her desk.

"Lois."

Looking up again, this time with tears in her eyes, she replied, "I know, okay? I don't like it, and I'll admit that it's going to be hard, but I know that I can't watch him 24/7. There's truth to uncover, and articles to be written. My career is important to me too."

Getting up and coming around to Lois's desk, Clark put a hand on his fiancée comfortingly. He told her, "Lois, no one's saying you can't have it all. I'm just saying, you need help. We both do. So, while we chase down leads in our crusade for the truth, we need to let the daycare workers do their jobs."

"You're right." She took a deep breath. "You're right. I just need to trust that Conner's in good hands, and that if anything happens, his bracelet will let us know."

Clark nodded in agreement, then headed back to his own desk.

Lois added, "It's just that I wish that — "

"I know," he said. "Me too."

...

Lois and Clark had just collected Conner from daycare, having decided to call it a night and go home, when a crisis arose in another part of town. While Clark went to take care of it real quick, Lois headed out to her SUV, strapping their son into his car seat.

No sooner had she finished with that, though, than she started feeling sick to her stomach. It was a familiar feeling from when she was pregnant with Conner, except this wasn't morning sickness.

Soon, Conner started crying, apparently feeling the same discomfort.

"I know, sweetie, Mommy feels it too."

She pulled her head out of the vehicle, trying to locate the source of the nausea, only to find a figure in a clear, plastic mask standing nearby, a piece of kryptonite on his wrist.

"Good evening, Ms. Lane," the figure said, his voice sounding familiar.

"Do I know you?" she demanded. Suddenly, she felt something pierce her abdomen, just below her breasts, and looked down to see a taser sticking out. "Son of a bitch."

Her last thought before she blacked out was of Conner. She hoped the figure wouldn't hurt him, and that Clark or Chloe would find him soon.

...

By the time Clark returned, Lois was nowhere to be seen, and Conner was bawling his head off, presumably for his mother.

"Lois?" Clark called out, his super-senses on high alert. Not that he expected her to answer, because Lois would never just leave their son alone like that.

"Hey, buddy," he said, gently pulling Conner out of his car seat. He then bounced him up and down a little, trying to comfort him. "It's okay. Daddy will find Mommy. It'll be okay."

He headed back to the Daily Planet, where Chloe was still typing away at her computer. He explained what had happened, and asked her to watch Conner for him while he searched for Lois.

"Sure," she replied, carefully taking Conner from him, "but do you even know where to look?"

"No, but it doesn't matter. I have to find her." His tone was desperate, yet determined.

Then, as Clark sped off into the night, Chloe turned to her baby cousin and said, "You know something, Conner, I don't envy whoever took your mommy. Because now, they have both your parents to deal with."

Conner started fussing a little.

"I know," she said, "scary thought."

...

Figuring it had to be one of the vendors, Clark first checked the stationary store, but it was dark inside and his abilities couldn't pick up any sign of Lois. So, he tried the jewelry store across the street, which was dark as well, most shops being closed that time of night. He was just about to move on to the bakery, when his superhearing picked up her voice, groggy and weak.

"You don't know...who you're dealing with," she was telling her captor.

It sounded like it was coming from beneath the store itself. So, quickly breaking the lock on the door with his thumb, he hurried inside, and found his fiancée down in a storage room of some sort, tied to a chair.

"Lois!"

"Clark!"

He sped down the steps, and began untying her.

"Clark. Clark, where's Conner?" she asked. "Is he okay?"

"He's safe. He's with Chloe at the Planet."

"Oh, thank God!" she exclaimed with relief. "But Clark, you shouldn't have come. The kidnapper, he — "

Before she would've said more, the kidnapper snuck up behind Clark and knocked him out with a wrench.

When he came to, he was strapped to a chair across from Lois, both of them still weak from their captor's kryptonite bracelet.

"Good, you're awake," their captor said, removing his mask and revealing himself to be the jeweler they'd talked with earlier. "Now we can begin."

"What's the point?" Lois asked. "We've already seen your face, so you're gonna kill us anyway!"

"Not necessarily," the jeweler replied. "If you pass my test, then you can go free."

"Test? What test?" Clark asked.

Their captor explained, "A test to reveal how much you two have been hiding from one another. You pass, and you can return to that precious little boy of yours. I just wish I'd known about him beforehand, as I could've planned better. But oh well, it turned out alright."

At that, Lois went ballistic, "Alright?! You kidnapped me, and left my son where he could be found by any passing stranger!"

"Anyway," the jeweler continued, ignoring Lois's outburst, "it's good that you two waited until after your son was born. Too many couples nowadays rush right into marriage because of a baby, when marriage isn't something to be taken lightly."

Lois looked at Clark like, 'Can you believe this guy?!' Rather than respond, Clark gestured with his eyes towards the jeweler and then towards a grate in the floor. Lois got the message loud and clear: once the jeweler got close enough, one of them would toss the bracelet down through the grate.

"You must really care about her," the jeweler observed, his attention on Clark, "to come storming in like that. Though, you did save me the time of having to kidnap you, too. So, thank you."

"Well, we'd hate to inconvenience you!" Lois snarked.

"Oh, it's no trouble at all," the jeweler replied. "It's my duty. I just wish someone had done this for me before my wife and I had gotten married."

Then, cranking up some ratty old machine, he added, "Now, ladies first: Ms. Lane, do you love this man?"

After exchanging a meaningful look with Clark, she replied, "With all my heart."

"Good. Now, have you ever cheated on your fiancé?"

"No!"

"Very good. Have you ever _thought about_ cheating on your fiancé? Is there someone from your past that you're still hanging on to, that you're still in love with?"

Clark watched Lois for the answer, and somewhere deep inside, he was afraid she would say yes, afraid she'd reveal that her heart still belonged to Oliver.

"Don't overthink it, Lois," he advised her. "Just answer the question."

She mumbled something, something that sounded an awful lot like a 'no' to Clark's superhearing.

The jeweler couldn't quite catch it, though, and approached Lois, insisting, "Speak up. I can't hear you if you don't speak up."

"Now, Lois!" Clark bellowed.

With that, she grabbed for the bracelet, while simultaneously headbutting the psychotic jeweler away from her. She then tossed the bracelet in the direction of the grate, allowing her and Clark to regain their respective strengths. Almost as if they planned it that way, they busted through their restraints at the exact same time, then turned their attention on the jeweler, who was lying dazed in the corner.

...

After they gave their statements to the police, Clark took Lois aside and admitted, "You know, you had me worried for a minute there. Some small part of me was afraid that you'd still be in love with Oliver. I'm not sure I could've lived with knowing that you are."

"Hey," she said, gently laying a hand on his cheek and looking him lovingly in the eyes. "_You_ are the one I love, the one I'm going to marry. _You_ are the one I want to spend the rest of my life with, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part. I don't doubt your feelings for me, so please don't doubt my feelings for you."

"Never again," he promised.

With that, he kissed her tenderly yet longingly.

When he pulled away, she asked, "Ooh, did I mention how much you drive me crazy, Kent?"

"I think you might've mentioned it, Lane," he replied playfully.

Afterwards, they returned to the Daily Planet, where they found Chloe and Kara playing with Conner, trying to keep him entertained as he laughed and squealed delightedly.

"Looks like we just found ourselves a couple of babysitters," Lois remarked.

"Does this mean you're finally ready to let go a little?" Clark retorted in mock-surprise.

"Hey, I'm not making any promises."

"Lois! Kal-El!" Kara greeted them, relieved. She ran up to hug them both, explaining, "Chloe told me what happened, and I sped right on over here. I was just about to go looking for you two."

"But you got waylaid by your unbelievably-adorable cousin?" Lois guessed.

"Yep."

Chloe chimed in, "Yeah, it was the funniest thing. He'd been fussy the entire time you guys were gone," here, she quickly assured them that it wasn't anything she couldn't handle, "but then, out of the blue, he just started smiling. Almost as if he knew you guys were okay. What happened, anyway?"

Lois took Conner from Chloe, then she and Clark took turns relaying the night's events. Afterwards, Lois handed Conner to Clark, and quickly made some much-needed revisions to their article.

"There, that ought to do it," she remarked, sending it off. "Ready to go, Clark?"

"Ready when you are," he replied.

In his arms, baby Conner yawned cutely, as if to say that he, too, was ready to go home.

"Aww," everyone opined.

Smiling, Lois added, "Come on, let's put this little one to bed."

She and Clark started to leave the bullpen, Conner cradled snugly in his father's arms, when Kara stopped them, "Wait, you guys. I've, um, been doing some thinking."

"Oh?" Lois asked, frowning. "What about?"

"Well, I've decided that the farm isn't big enough for the four of us." She quickly added before they could protest, "Don't get me wrong, I love it there. But Conner's a growing boy, and the house would just get cramped eventually. And see, this way, he gets his own room. Besides, I've always wanted to travel around, see this world. You know, try to find my place in it."

Clark and Lois exchanged looks, unsure of how to take the news.

Finally, Clark spoke up, "Well...if that's what you want, Kara."

"It is," she assured them.

Lois interjected, "Then you have our blessing. Not that you need it; after all, you're practically a Lane."

"Thank you, Lois." Kara hugged her first, then Clark. "And you too, Kal-El."

As they hugged, Clark told her, "Remember, Kara, you can always come home whenever you're ready."

"I know, Kal-El." Kara was beaming, so glad that they'd accepted her decision.

"And don't hesitate to call us if you need us."

"I won't, Kal-El."

Then, Lois channeled Jor-El, tears now starting to sting her eyes, "And may Rao be with you on this journey that you are about to start."

TO BE CONTINUED...

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><p>AN #2: Well, that worked out kinda neatly, that psychotic jeweler actually helping Lois to learn to let go a little. But thing is, I hadn't even planned that going in. So, clearly, my muse deserves a cookie or two. ;) I did, however, plan for Kara to move out at the end of the chapter. I'm not really doing anything with her, and besides, I kinda need her (conveniently) out of the way for something I have planned later on. ;)

A/N #3: Oh, by the way, I still need to hear from everyone regarding what y'all are most looking forward to with this story, and what y'all are hoping I'll change or stay away from altogether. Especially with regards to Chloe and Oliver. Y'all can either leave a review, or vote in a poll I posted on my profile. Or both, if that's what floats your boat. :)


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